Brachyscome plant named ‘Bonbrapi’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Brachyscome  plant named ‘Bonbrapi’, characterized by its upright and outwardly spreading plant habit; freely branching growth habit; brown-colored stems and purple-tinted developing leaves; numerous large inflorescences positioned above the foliage; dark pink-colored ray florets; and good postproduction longevity and garden performance.

Botanical designation: Brachyscome×hybrida.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Bonbrapi’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Brachyscome plant, botanically known as Brachyscome×hybrida and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Bonbrapi’.

The new Brachyscome plant is a product of a controlled breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Yellow Rock, New South Wales, Australia. The objective of the breeding program is to create new mounding Brachyscome plants with unique and attractive ray floret color.

The new Brachyscome plant originated from a cross-pollination in Yellow Rock, New South Wales, Australia, of a proprietary selection of Brachyscome formosa identified as code number 00-126.2, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with a proprietary selection of Brachyscome×hybrida identified as code number 00-52, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent in September, 2004. The new Brachyscome plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant from within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled environment in Yellow Rock, New South Wales, Australia in July, 2005.

Asexual reproduction of the new Brachyscome plant by vegetative cuttings in a controlled environment in Yellow Rock, New South Wales, Australia since August, 2005, has shown that the unique features of this new Brachyscome plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Brachyscome have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment and cultural practices such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Bonbrapi’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Bonbrapi’ as a new and distinct cultivar of Brachyscome:

-   -   1. Upright and outwardly spreading plant habit.     -   2. Freely branching growth habit.     -   3. Brown-colored stems and purple-tinted developing leaves.     -   4. Numerous large inflorescences positioned above the foliage.     -   5. Dark pink-colored ray florets.     -   6. Good postproduction longevity and garden performance.

Plants of the new Brachyscome differ from plants of the female parent selection primarily in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Brachyscome have smaller inflorescences         than plants of the female parent selection.     -   2. Plants of the new Brachyscome have lighter-colored ray         florets than plants of the female parent selection.

Plants of the new Brachyscome differ from plants of the male parent selection primarily in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Brachyscome and the male parent selection         differ in developing leaf color as plants of the male parent         selection have green-colored developing leaves.     -   2. Plants of the new Brachyscome have larger inflorescences than         plants of the male parent selection.

Plants of the new Brachyscome can also be compared to plants of the Brachyscome angustifolia ‘Billabong Mauve Delight’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 10,889. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Yellow Rock, New South Wales, Australia, plants of the new Brachyscome differed from plants of ‘Billabong Mauve Delight’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Brachyscome were more compact than plants         of ‘Billabong Mauve Delight’.     -   2. Plants of the new Brachyscome had longer internodes than         plants of ‘Billabong Mauve Delight’.     -   3. Plants of the new Brachyscome and ‘Billabong Mauve Delight’         differed in stem and developing leaf color as plants of         ‘Billabong Mauve Delight’ had green-colored stems and developing         leaves.     -   4. Plants of the new Brachyscome had larger leaves than plants         of ‘Billabong Mauve Delight’.     -   5. Plants of the new Brachyscome had larger inflorescences than         plants of ‘Billabong Mauve Delight’.     -   6. Plants of the new Brachyscome and ‘Billabong Mauve Delight’         differed in ray floret color as plants of ‘Billabong Mauve         Delight’ had violet-colored ray florets.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Brachyscome plant, showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Brachyscome plant.

The photograph at the top of the sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Bonbrapi’ grown in a container.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet is a close-up view of typical flowering plants of ‘Bonbrapi’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations, measurements and values describe plants grown in 15-cm containers in Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan, under commercial practice during the early summer in an outdoor nursery with day temperatures ranging from 15° C. to 30° C. and night temperatures ranging from 8° C. to 20° C. Plants were four and five months old when the description and photographs, respectively, were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2001 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Brachyscome×hybrida ‘Bonbrapi’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection of             Brachyscome formosa identified as code number 00-126.2, not             patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Proprietary selection of             Brachyscome×hybrida identified as code number 00-52, not             patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About seven days at             temperatures of 20° C. to 25° C.         -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About ten days at             temperatures of 15° C. to 20° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About three             weeks at temperatures of 20° C. to 25° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About four             weeks at temperatures of 15° C. to 20° C.         -   Root description.—Fibrous; white in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; moderately dense. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant form and growth habit.—Upright and outwardly spreading             plant habit; moderately vigorous growth habit; freely             branching growth habit with about 70 lateral branches per             plant; pinching enhances lateral branch development.         -   Plant height.—About 18.4 cm.         -   Plant width (spread).—About 34.2 cm.         -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 12.7 cm. Diameter: About             1.5 mm. Internode length: About 3.3 cm. Strength: Moderately             strong. Aspect: Upright to outward. Texture: Smooth,             glabrous. Color: Between N200A and 200B. -   Foliage description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Alternate, simple; sessile.         -   Length.—About 3.8 cm.         -   Width.—About 2.1 cm.         -   Shape.—Obovate.         -   Apex.—Acute to somewhat obtuse.         -   Base.—Attenuate.         -   Margin.—Lobed.         -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Smooth, glabrous.         -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate, reticulate.         -   Color.—Developing leaves, upper surface: Close to N189A             tinted with close to 187A. Developing leaves, lower surface:             Close to N187B. Fully expanded leaves, upper surface: Close             to 189A; venation, close to 138A. Fully expanded leaves,             lower surface: Close to 191A tinted with close to 187A;             venation, close to N199A. -   Inflorescence description:     -   -   Appearance and habit.—Single composite inflorescence form             with ray and disc florets arranged acropetally on a             capitulum; inflorescences borne above the foliage; uniform             and freely flowering habit with about 26 open inflorescences             per plant at a time; inflorescences face mostly upright.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Flowering season.—Plants flower from spring through autumn             in Japan; flowering continuous during this period; early             flowering habit, plants begin flowering about 35 days after             planting.         -   Inflorescence longevity.—Inflorescences last about two to             three weeks on the plant; inflorescences persistent.         -   Inflorescence bud.—Height: About 6.4 mm. Diameter: About             4.9 mm. Shape: Ovoid. Color: Close to 145C.         -   Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 3.6 cm. Height: About             8 mm. Diameter of disc: About 6.6 mm.         -   Ray florets.—Quantity/arrangement: About 21 to 26 in a             single whorl. Length: About 14.2 mm. Width: About 3 mm.             Shape: Lanceolate. Apex: Obtuse. Base: Obtuse. Margin:             Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous.             Color: When opening, upper surface: Close to N78B. When             opening, lower surface: Close to 65C; towards the base,             close to 71B. Fully opened, upper surface: Close to N78C.             Fully opened, lower surface: Close to 75B; towards the base,             close to 72B.         -   Disc florets.—Quantity/arrangement: About 60 massed at             center of receptacle. Shape: Tubular, elongated; five-lobed.             Apex: Acute. Length: About 6.1 mm. Width: About 2.3 mm.             Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color, immature: Close to 146A.             Color, mature: Close to 1B.         -   Involucral bracts.—Quantity/arrangement: About 18; bracts             imbricate. Length: About 4.2 mm. Width: About 0.9 mm. Shape:             Elliptic to oblong. Apex: Acute. Base: Truncate. Margin:             Entire, ciliate. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth,             glabrous. Color, upper surface: Close to 200B. Color, lower             surface: Close to 137A to 137C.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 7.6 cm. Diameter: About 1 mm.             Strength: Moderately strong. Texture: Smooth, glabrous.             Color: Between N200A and 200B.         -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Present on disc florets             only. Stamen length: About 1 mm. Anther length: Less than             1 mm. Anther shape: Lanceolate. Anther color: Close to 13C.             Pollen amount: Moderate. Pollen color: Close to 13C.             Gynoecium: Present on ray and disc florets. Pistil length:             About 4.1 mm. Stigma shape: Bi-lobed. Stigma color: Close to             13C. Ovary color: Close to 145C.         -   Seeds/fruits.—Seed and fruit development has not been             observed on plants of the new Brachyscome. -   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Brachyscome have not been     observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to     Brachyscomes. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Brachyscome have been observed     to have good garden performance and tolerate rain, wind and     temperatures ranging from about 0° C. to about 40° C. 

1. A new and distinct Brachyscome plant named ‘Bonbrapi’ as illustrated and described. 